Center bearing



July 22, 1930. n. B. JACOBS 1,710,982

CENTER BEARING Original Filed Jan. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG-l.

l; ,DflVfD B. (40035 D. B. JACOBS CENTER BEARING July 22, 1930.

Original Filed Jan. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-She'd. 2

Patented July 22, 1930' UNITED STA DAVID B. moons, or oHA raIGN, ILLINOIS CENTER BEARING Application filed January 7,.

My invention relates to improvementsin center bearings, asthey are known in the art of railway car building, and which are employed for pivotally connecting the under frames of the cars to the wheeled trucks so that the latter will be free to swing ina horizontal direction to follow curves in the track.

Freight and passenger cars used on standard gage American railways in the United 1o States, Canada, and Mexico are in all fundamental respects, built to standards adopted by the American Railway Association. The American Railway standard center bearing incorporation a pair of center plates,one carried by the center bolster of the under frame of the car, and the other carried by the truck bolster. The respective center plates have interfitting male and female bowl portions and within the bowl portions are inteferfitting central bearing portions through which a center pin extends. A cross section of the circular part, or bowl of these plates, is known as the contour and is specified as an A. R. A. contour. In

535 practice there are countless designs of center plates and all of them differ as to general form and thelocation of rivet holes, but the contour, 0r bowl part of practically all of them conforms to the A. R. A. standard.

In assembling the plates the bowl of the femaleplate is partially filled'with grease or other lubricant to overcome friction between the contiguous bottom surfaces of the bowl portions which serve as the sole means for supporting the load, it being the practice to make the wall of the bowl of the female plate shorter in height than the depth of the bowl of the male plate so that the surface of the: male plate surrounding the howl-like portion will be spaced from the top of the bowl of the female plate. Thus, dirt and other foreign matter, drawn up by thesuctioncreated by the carin transit, may, and does enter the bowl of the female through this space between its wall and the flat part of the male plate,there being of course a slight space between the opposed. side wall surfaces of the. bowls and interfitting center pin bearing portions to allow for'some relative shifting: of. the plates. transverselyof Association (A. R. A.) V

the wall of stood, however,

1928, Serial No. 245,102. Renewed May 29, 1930.

their axes to assure free turning movement of the same, allow space for grease-packing, and to take care of expansion and construction. Likewise foreign matter gets into the bowl of the female plate between the spaced end portions of the interfitting center pin bearings,'it being understood that the center pin is necessarily somewhat smaller in diameter than the alined holes in said center pin bearings to permit slight trans-axial shifting of the center plates as aforesaid.

Anassumulation of dirt and foreign matter inthe bowl of the female plate not only absorbs the lubricant, but also serves as an abrasive in hastening the natural wear upon the friction faces of the plates. If such foreign matter is allowed to accumulate, it seen fills the (one-eighth inch) cavity between the bowl walls which isallowed for shift in the A. A. dimensions, and retards the free movement of one plate within the other and about the center pin. This free movement is a necessary function of the twoplates. if the truck is to maintain its natural swing when taking a curve or switch.

Havingrin mind the center plate and bearing construction, above described,-it is the primary object of my invention to provide means for excluding dirt and foreign matter from the bowl of the female plate and to thereby assure the free and natural relative pivoting of the plates under service conditions at all times,and this without departingfrom the fundamental A. R. A. contour or bowl design.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are1attainedby means: of a novel combination and arrangement' of parts to behereinafter described andzclaimed, reference being had to the acompa-nying drawings which illustrate the invention inits now prefere'd form. It is to be undermodifications can be madein the invention as shown and describedwithout however de parting from the spirit an scopeoftheisubject matter as claimed,

r .In the drawings,

that various changes and 9 Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken, and showing the center plates assembled;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is afragmentary sectional view, partly broken, being similar to Figure 2, but drawn to larger scale and showing a slightly modified form of the invention in the interfitting center pin bearing portions;

Figure at is a perspective view of the fibrelike annulus and confining ring which surrounds the wall of the female plate;

Figure 5 is a a perspective view of the male center plate;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the female center plate;

Referring specifically to the drawings, numeral 8 designates the male center plate which is ordinarily carried by the center bolster of the under frame of the car,-while 9 indicates the female center plate which is formed integral with or attached to the truck bolster. Inasmuch as the under frame and truck construction of railway cars forms no part of the present inventir'in and is well known to those skilled in the art, I have not illustrated and do not deem it necessary to describe such construction here, inasmuch as my invention relates solely to the center hearing or center plate construction.

The flat marginal portions of plates 8, 9 have suitable bolt or rivet holes 8, 9 whereby the plates may be securely fastened to the truck bolster or under frame of the car. The

-: male or under frame center plate 8, has an annular bowl portion 10 which fits in a sl ghtly oversized annular groove or bowl portion 11 of plate 9. This latter bowl portion is defined by the outer wall 12 and the upstanding boss-like center pin bearing portion 13 which lits into a relatively oversized hole or recess ll just inwardly of the upstanding boss-like center pin bearing portion 15 of the male plate 8. This boss-like center pin hearing portion 15 of male plate 8 is surrounded by the annular bowl portion 10, as shown.

The center pin 16 is necessarily slightly smaller in diameter than the alined holes 123", 15)- in the boss-like center pin bearing portions 13, 15 of the respective plates so as to cooperate with the relatively oversizcd annular bowl portion 11 of plate 9 in permitting slight shifting of the plates 8, 9 transversely of their axes to assure free turning of bowl portions 10, 11 in service. The construct on described also takes care of expansion and contraction in the bowl portions of the plates, and also enables a supply of grease or luhri cant within bowl 11 to be dispersed between the opposed surfaces of the walls of bowls 10, 11, and the walls of boss-like bearing portion 13 and recess 14.

Up to this point the structure described is A. R. A standard and is characteristic of most of the center plate assemblies used by the various roads.

As explained in the introductory portion of this specification, dirt gets into the bowl 11 of the female plate 9 through the space between the top of wall 12 and the surface of plate 8 surrounding the bowl portion 10, and passes thence down between the sides of the bowls and works in between the bottoms thereof. This dirt and foreign matter will in time fill up the small one-eighth inch space S between the side wall surfaces of the bowls 10, 11 thus retarding free movement of the trucks and destroying their natural swing when taking a curve or switch.

In order to exclude dirt from space S I provide the male plate 8 with a depending circun'iferential lip 17 which is spaced not only from the wall of howl 10, but also outwardly from the wall of bowl 11.. Surrounding the wall 12 of the bowl 11 I provide a washer or annulus 18 of fabric, felt, leather, rubber or similar material which is confined in close contact with wall 12 by means of a metal band 19.

The assembled washer 18 and ring 19 are supported upon the flat portion of plate 9 surrounding the bowl wall 12, as shown, and the lip 17 presses down into the top of the washer 18 thereby positively excluding dirt and foreign matter from the space S.

It is also to be noted that the bead or lip 17 defines with the wall of bowl 10 a channel for receiving the wall 12 of bowl 9. By this construction it will be manifest that even in the absence of the felt washer 18 the lip 17 will to a considerable extent prevent foreign matter from working in between the two bowls. This follows because such matter will necessarily have to follow a tortuous and initially up hill course between lip 18 and the outer surface of bowl wall 12 to finally reach the space S and ultimately the bottom of bowl 11. Another advantage of lip 18 is that it provides another contact point,-that is to say through engagement with the outer surface of wall 12,to make up a portion of the strain incident to the transverse shifting of the plates which is incidental to the relative rotation thereof, as has already been explained.

Respecting the boss-like bearing portions 13, 15 the opposed inner ends thereof are horizontally spaced according to the A. R. A. standard plate design thus permitting dirt and foreign matter to work inwardly from between the center pin 16 and its oversized bearing holes 13, 15 into the oversized hole or recess 14 of plate 8 which surrounds the boss-like bearing portion 18 of plate 9,-and finally to reach the bottom of the bowl 11 of plate 9. In order to overcome this objection I provide the plate 8 with a depending lip 22 extending from the inner portion or wall of its center pin bearing 15 and into the hole lar -sea.

l4,the outer surface of said lip being beveled in the direotionoffcenter pin 162 The upper end of the boss-like center pin bearing portion-1350f plate-9 is beveled outwardly, as"

- space-between the opposed ends of bearing portions 13, 15. s

In operation, the center pin16 is the pivot around which thetruck turns as the car is pulled around curves in the track. However,

while the truck turns about center pin 16, thebufiing and pulling stresses are taken up by the center plates 8, 9 Working one within the other. From the foregoing description taken in connect-ion with the accompanying drawingsit is believed that thenovel features and advantages of my invention will be readily apparentf'to those skilled inthe art, and that the use of center plates of my design will greatly increase the life of center bearing assemblies in addition to assuring the continued natural relative swinging or pivoting of the plates over long periods. lVhile this device has'been, described in connection with the railway car art, and will probably find its greatest sphere of utility in this field,, yet it is understood that it is capable of other and analogous uses Within the scope of appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A center bearing assembly for pivotally connecting the trucks and underframes of railway cars comprising in combination, a center plate carried by the truck and having a female bowl portion and a medial upstanding boss-like center pin bearing, a second center plate carried by the car body underframe, and having a male bowl portion slightly smaller in exterior diameter than the interior diameter of the female bowl portion and fitting into the latter, the male bowl portion having a medial center pin bearing and a concentric circular recess communicating wlth sald bearing, the dlameter of said recess being relatively greater than the exterior diameter of the boss-like center pin bearingportion of said first mentioned plate to receive the same, a center pin extending loosely through said plate bearings, a circumferential concentric lip depending fromthe sec- 0nd mentioned center pin bearingiand into said recess, the adjacent ends of said lip and boss-like center pin bearing being bevelled inwardly and downwardly and the said lip extending slightlyinto: said boss-like bearing.

whereby said bevelled surfacesrwill bedise posed inxcloselyopposed upwardly and outwardly inclined relationship to, prevent the passage. of; dirt. and: foreign matter into the bowl ofcsaid truck-carried center plate;

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, the 1 top of the bowl wall of said female truck-carried plate being spaced from the bottom of said other plate, said male underframe-carriedplate having asecond circumferential lip extending downwardly. from, its under surface and spaced outwardly of its bowl wall and the bowl wall of the truck-carried plate tothereby define aslightly oversize channel a to receivetheupper end of the latter whereby to substantially prevent the'passage ofydirt and foreign matter between the upper end of the bowl wall of-said truck-carried, plateand the under surface of said other plate. a

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, the

top of the bowl wall of said female truck-can ried plate, being spaced from the bottom of c said other plate, said male underframe-carried platehaving a second circumferential lip extending.downwardly from its under, surface andspaced outwardly of its bowl wall and the bowl wall ofthe truck-carried plate to thereby define a slightly oversize channel to receive the upper end of the latter, an annulus of compressible material surrrounding the bowl wall of said truck-carried plate, and

, said second mentioned lipv bearing against the top surface of said annulus whereby to hold the latter, seated on said truck-carried plate and toprevent the passage offoreign matter into the bowlof said truck-carried plate Through; the space between its Wall and said 1p. r r 4. A center bearing assembly for pivotally connecting the trucks and und'erframes of railway cars comprising in combinatioma center plate carried by the truck-and having a bowl portion, a medial upstanding center pin bearing in said bowl portion, a second center plate carried by the car body underframe, and having an annular boss projecting fromitsexposedface, said boss being received in said bowl, the exterior diameter of said upstanding center pin bearing being less than theinterior-diameter of said boss and the end of the latter being spaced from the, opposed ce of said second mentioned. cen er plat aid 0nd. men ioned enter plate having a bear ngconcentrio with: said bowl carriedcenterpinbea-ring-acenter-pin loosely extending through said, c nc ntric iipdep n ing fr m'the c ter pin bearing of said second, mentioned1plate,saidf 11p andthe upper endof said upstanding center pin bearing having their ends bevelled inwardly and posed closely spaced relationship to prebearingsg a; circumferen a downwardly, and said; lipex vent the passage of dirt and foreign matter into said bowl.

5. A center bearing assembly for pivotally connectting the trucks and underframes of railway cars and the like comprising in combination, a center plate carried by the truck and having an upstanding cent-er pin bearing, a second center platehaving a face adapted to engage the first mentioned center plate and having a recess diametrically larger than said upstanding center pin bearing and designed to receive the latter, the end of said upstanding center pin bearing being spaced from the inner end of the recess of said second center plate, said recess having a concentric center pin receiving bearing alignable with the upstanding center pin bearing of the other plate, a center pin loosely extending through the center pin bearings of said plates, a circumferential concentric lip carried by the center pin bearing of said second mentioned plate within the recess thereof, said lip loosely embracing said center pin and extending into said upstanding bearing, and said lip and the adjacent inner wall of said upstanding bearing being closely spaced and formed to define an upwardly and outwardly extending passage therebetween intersecting the truck plate cent-er pin bearing hole at an acute angle whereby to obstruct passage of foreign matter from said bearings over the end of said upstanding bearing to the contacting surfaces of said plate.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4, the wall of said bowl being spaced from the adjacent surface of said secondmentioned plate, and co-acting sealing means carried by the said plates exteriorly of said bowl wall for preventing the passage of foreign matter over the Wall and into the bowl.

7. The combination set forth in claim 4, the wall of said bowl being spaced from the adj acent surface of said second mentioned plate, co-acting sealing means carried by the said plates exteriorly of said bowl wall for preventing the passage of foreign matter over the wall and into the bowl, and one of the elements of said sealing means comprising a compressible annulus.

S. In a bearing of the class described comprising a pair of plates having interfitting boss and bowl portions, an annular lip carried by the boss plate and spaced outwardly of the boss to define-a channel adapted to receive the bowl wall of the other plate, and an annulus of compressible material'carried by the bowl plate and surrounding the wall of the bowl, said lip engaging said annulus to exclude foreign matter from said channel.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8,- said lip engaging said annulus at the upper surface thereof to hold the same seated upon said bowl plate at the base of the bowl wall.

10, The combination set forth in claim 8 and a confining ring surrounding said annu lus to prevent radial spreading thereof.

11. The combination set forth in claim 8,- said lip engaging the upper surface of said annulus to hold the latter seated upon said bowl plate at the base of the bowl wall, and a confining ring surrounding said annulus to prevent radial spreading thereof under the influence of said lip.

In a bearing of the class described, a pair of superposed cont-acting plates having alined concentric bearing portions, a pin ex tending through said bearing portions, an axial concentric lip extending from one of said bearing portions and having its end terminating within the confines of the other bearing portion, and the adjacent opposed surfaces of said lip and the bearing portion receiving the same intersecting the center pin hole of the latter bearing portion at a substantially common bias with respect to said hole.

13. In a bearing of the class described, a pair of superposed contacting plates having alined axially spaced center bearing portions, a center pin extending through said bearing portions and permitting relative lateral movement of the plates, an axial concentric lip extending from the bearing portion of the upper plate and having its end terminating within the confines of the bearing portion of the other plate, and the adjacent opposed surfaces of the lip and the bearing portion receiving the same being spaced and substan tially parallel, said surfaces intersecting the center pin hole of said lower hearing at a bias to provide an upward and outwardly flared space leading therefrom substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I atlix my si nature.

DAVID B. JACOBS. 

